Remote control toy waterway



June 14, -1960 Filed March 18, 1958 W. G. BLANTON REMOTE CONTROL TOY WATERWAY Tlql.

2 Sheets-Sheet. 1

M ATTOR NEY June 14,1960 w. G. BLANTON 2,940,214

REMOTE CONTROL TOY WATERWAY Filed March 18, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet. 2

INVENTOR %z/AM zmvra/v BY Z ATTORNEY United States Patent REMOTE CONTROL TOY WATERWAY William G. Blanton, Hialeah, Fla., assignor of one-half to Charles Goldstein, North Miama Beach, Fla.

Filed Mar. 1a, 1958, Ser. No. 122,302

2 Claims. or. 46-91) This invention relates to a toy incorporating a novel system of propulsion and controls for remotely controlling movements of miniature boats in a waterway system. Pursuant to the invention, air pressure is utilized for controlled movement of the toy boats and for changing their direction of movement through laminar flow of the surface layer of the water, attained by directing streams of air across the surface layer.

Pursuant to the invention, as will become apparent from the description below, means are provided for controlling movement of the boats on the waterway relative to each other and through said waterway. Movement of one or more boats at the same time may thus 'be controlled; the boats may be caused to move in and out of inlets from one waterway to anotherone boat may be caused to go in one direction and others in the opposite direction at the same time and one may be docked while the others continue to move; the docked boat may be caused to leave the dock at the will of the operator. A boat proceeding in one direction may be caused to turn and move in the opposite direction, and one boat, such as a speed boat may be caused to go faster and pass a slower boat, such as a tug boat. The speed of the boats may be increased or decreased at the will of the operator, all of the above being attained, pursuant to the invention, without the operator actually touching the boats or the water.

Examples of practical devices embodying the invention are described below and in the accompanying drawings; the invention is not limited thereto, but covers all other forms coming within the scope or purview of the disclosure herein.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a medial, longitudinal sectional view of a remote control toy waterway system embodying the invention,

Fig. 2 is a perspective view thereof,

Fig. 3 is a similar view of another form thereof,

Fig. 4 is an enlarged, partly broken, sectional view, taken on line 44 of Fig. 3,

Fig. 5 is a schematic, partly sectional, view of a boat adapted for use in carrying out the invention shown on a waterway,

Fig. 6 is a similar view of another form thereof, and

Fig. 7 is an enlarged, fragmentary, sectional view, taken on line 7 7 of Fig. 2.

The device of this invention, as will appear from the accompanying drawings and description below, is designed to enable the operator to readily control the movement of miniature boats, such as indicated at 10 in Figs. 2. and 3 and at 60 and 59 in Figs. 5 and 6 of the drawings, in a waterway defined by a base portion 13 and portions such as 14, 15, 16 of any desirable or convenient form rising therefrom and defining, for example, waterways, an inlet therebetween and an island portion 16. The arrangement of Waterways is subject to infinite variations pursuant to the invention; supplementary or additional devices may 2,940,214 Patented June 14, 1960v be used to enhance the efiect, such as forming a lighthouse replica 17 on portion 14 and forming simulated dock 18 (Fig. 3) extending from the portion 14.

Pursuant to the invention means are provided enabling the operator of the game to control and move surface layer 19 (Fig. 5) of the water 12 at various points, as presently more particularly described. The air blown on the water at a certain point not only moves the water at that point but moves the whole surface layer of that particular channel in the direction of the air flow. In case of the inlet, most of the surface layer in the inlet, flows from outside to inside while the boat is being sent in. At the same time most of the water in the outside channel is at a stand still. Compressed air is used for the purpose, and discharge valves are provided for the controlled discharge thereof. To that end, as shown, for example, in Fig. 1, the base member 13 may be essentially hollow and sealed except for the control valves and air inlet 28 (Fig. 2) in a side wall of the base portion and opening into a blower 29 (Fig. 1) for compression of air and discharge thereof into the hollow base portion. The blower may be actuated by a motor 30 driven by house current or by batteries such as 31 (Fig. 1) controlled by switch 32 (Fig. 2) through cable 33.

In the form shown in Figs. 1 and 2, valves 27 and 34 are provided for control of the air discharge apertures 27', 34', in the portions 14, 16 of base 13. The valves may be of any desired type pushed or pulled to actuate the same as indicated by the arrows (Fig. 1) adjacent the knobs 22, 23 for valves 27, 34. The valves may be of the type (Fig. 7) rotated to register a discharge opening therein with the opening 36 in an apertured casing 20, constituting the air discharge aperture in the portion 15. By selectively operating the valves, compressed air may be directed onto the surface of the body of water 12 at various points so as to control movement of one or more boats selectively or simultaneously and cause said boats to. go in and out of inlets and from one waterway to another. One boat may thus be caused to go in one direction, and another in the opposite direction at the same time. A boat going in one direction may be caused to turn around and start back in the opposite direction and one boat, such as a boat 10, Fig. 5, to move faster and pass a slower boat, such as heavier boat 21 of Fig. 6. Speeds and direction of movement of the boats may be increased or decreased without touching the boats or the water.

Pursuant to the invention, the boats are moved by laminar flow of the surface layer 19 in contrast to the main body 12 of liquid by air blown across the surface;

layer at an angle from the vertical. The complete body of water does not necessarily flow. If the air flow is parallel with the walls of the portions 14, 15, 16, the discharge apertures (such as 27', 34') will operate satisfactorily even if high' above the surface 19. If the flow of air is perpendicular to the Wall, such as at the inlet between'the waterways, the discharge aperture should be almost at the water line (which might be disadvantageous) or the wall constructed to arcuately meet the waterline as shown in Fig. 7 so that air blowing down the wall will bedefiected in direction from discharge aperture 36 substantially above the water line to change direction from vertical to horizontal flow'as the air reaches the waterline, preventing a still or dead spot at the point where thewater meets the wall.

Fig. 3 illustrates another form, the compressed air draught than a speed boat.

' Wetting the deck:

{B3 dischargeapertures 47 at the lower portion thereof; apertures e8 49 of the tube 51 and aperture 50 of tube 52 may be rotated into registry therewith by the control knobs 3 for tubef 5 1 and 54 (for tube 52);

' ma be disc arged nen ne side or said o'peningj 45c;

47 st anyone time. The curved-slot41isso'designed as to cause' the air discharged ther ethiough to flow straight 'downthe wall portion when the lot sir i'in the center of the discharge aperture 47-;:;Ii1e dis har 'e a tur'e 45' of the casing26"is a stfaight'slotso that the air discharged therethrough will fiow straig'hh dd ni The curved discharge aperture or: slot 46 islocatedinwa1dly of the ends of the base portion-'14 sothat air discharged the'rethrough will blow p arallel to the channel and'nea'rer to. the island l'. The closer slot 46 i's' pl'2iced.-to' the island 16', which in the Fig. 3 formwould'partly coverthe blower, .the more perpendicularly it will discharge air relative to the channel; V f

The boats are preferably formed with keels"57 (Fig; 5:) projecting through th'e surface layer'19 and intofthe underlying layers of water lz'keepin'g' thehi headed in the direction in which they are moving and said boats preferably have flat bottoms andllittle draught (as noted at 58, Fig. 5) so that theboat will ride with the surface layer 19 of water; A heavierjbhat, as for example, tug boat 59-(Fig.' 6) wouldwliavea deeper The deeper the draught, the slower the boat will move for the same aniount offorce knee 53 any necenneeteag'tfethetue repellingforce s which keep the hoats from sticking to the walls. The casing walls being vertical or nearly so make it difiicnlt to maintaina convex condition at the water level. The walls could be waterproofed and the boats allowed to become wet but this is obviated by forming the casing walls curved at the water level (Fig. 7

The boats will sticktogether; it they approach each other at close range but they separate readily when passing ran i flow r X If condemns re allowedj'to exist causing a boat to stick t'of a a1t,;the' beat will nertr eranee inchesbe fore it is attracted tda walhandwill'notdeavetli wall until takenofi} by hand"; The boats maybe provided with, (Figs. 5' and 6) 'p1eces of fer'rou's'nietal 61 so the electro-magnet 62 at the dd'c k mayattract the boat when it is desired.

' A magnetic member may be provided in a portion of the base 1-3, as, for example, by providing the member 62 in the simulated clock" 18 in 'Figf 3, to becontrollcd by passing a current through cable 63; and-switch -65" to the batteries 31, through a coil 64surroundingthemem her 62. Thus the operator'may magnetize m'einber'fiz and thus; dock 18 at such tiines' as desired;"co'attract"cs1- tain boats thereto and permit others to'pass therebeyon'cl without beingi attracted thereto, and 'torelaseboatyso attracted to the magnetic dock therefrom when desired: Having thus described my invention, whatl'claini" as new 'and'desire to secure by Letters Patent is: l. A remote' control, boat-waterway game, comprising a hollow, essentially sealed casing havingan upper face formed in simulation of a'waterway bed and of portions rising therefrom in watertightrelation defining'i th'erewith exerted upon it. A heavier boat would have a thicker to eause a drag against the under ,l'ayers'of water.

capillaryaction'of water and prevent .hoats which: may

a w aterway bed in'which water may be'plac'ed'and one or more miniature boats positioned therein, at the top of said casing 'creatingth'e' eflfect of a body of water used by boats, a compressed air source in said casingfor filling the casing with compressed air, the upper face of the'casing having an apertured: portion located above the customary water line and aivalye casing'positiond in; and extending through said, apertured portion of the.;casing; said'valve casing having a discharge, aperture directed"toward1th'e I surface of therwater} av valve head movably. disposed in be passing each other closely from being attracted toward eachother. 'The boat decks may be waxed, greased,,-silicon coated or otherwise treated to keep the-water from The boats are made lighter than water so that they will float under any condition and'they would normally extend into the 'air above the'water-leyelf In s,o;d o ing" they would createa concave (if the boats were wetted) casing) the boats would stick to the casing walls when saidQyalVe casing and selectively movable against said ap tured portion of the valve casing. to clbse said apertured portion and away-from gsaid apertured portion, to open the same fordischarge; ofs'aid compressed; air, :and m n co n t d to said v l head. t h ov d v the op a o of h g m to control movementof the ivalv'e ead a ins nd c e rotthe ischar e perture, sotha't air may be discharged against the surface of thejwaterat the will of the operator, to thus move ithe'surfaceof the Water an reby mo e a d ha t a r 2. Ina remotecontrolgame set 9 11 V a portion rising from said upper face of the casingbeing moved close thereto. Hence the deck portions .of the boats are waxed or otherwise coated or treated to break up the capillary actionot the, water.andikeepthe'iwater from wetting the deck. By weighting the boat to move,

it down in the water so that its-deck will be'flush with the deck withthe deck flushwith the waterjthe'deck'willinot posite' conditions of their surrounding water surfaces; set

1 curved at the waterline andjsaidg mp essed "discharge pe tii be nss ii r ap sed relati eitoi a d P91- ti that the a r di ch ged t er from flow sl w wardly along said portion e deflected therebyonto e u c ay of' he ate a p th s b t nti y become wet and aconvex condition o f thewate'r sui f aee I around the boat is attained. Oppo sfiteconditions ofthe water surfaces at the casing walls and boat providing'lop parallel to. the surfaceofth'e water.

tt s? ited i t e file: i thi s lie UNITED STATES Barents 743,820 Brown m; 10, 19,d3 1,389,611 Wood "Sept."6,'1921 2,213,901 Crawford "Sept; 3, 1940' 2,355,l'l8 Storey '-Aii s, 1954 F RE GN "PATE I 4 0,533 

